Q 6 Provincial Museum Report. 191' 



Mount Robson region in the summer of 1911. A small appropriation was made to Director 

 Wheeler, who had offered to look after specimens for the Provincial Museum. I met the 

 party on their return to Edmonton, Alberta, and arranged with Messrs. Riley and Hollister 

 that, after they had taken the collection to the Smithsonian Institution and examined the 

 specimens, they would send a report on the birds and mammals of that district, also to send 

 the Provincial Museum duplicates of the birds and mammals collected. 



The reports have been received, also the specimens, several of which are new species, 

 being described by N. Hollister. 



E. M. Anderson, Assistant Curator, was Acting-Curator from May to August, during 

 the Curator's visit East and to Europe, who had gone to study plans, arrangement, and 

 management of the larger institutions of America and Europe, in preparation for the new 

 Museum to be built in Victoria, and also to attend the annual meeting of the American 

 Association of Museums. 



The first museum visited was the Field Museum of Natural History at Chicago ; second, 

 the Smithsonian Institution and National Museum at Washington, where considerable time 

 was spent in going over the vast collections, also through all the departments of the Biological 

 Survey. I was loyally received and entertained and extended every privilege by the 

 Secretary, Dr. Chas. D. Walcott, Mr. Rathbun, Dr. Merriam, Director Henshaw, and others 

 of the staff of the Smithsonian Institution. 



From Washington I proceeded to New York City, and attended the meeting of the 

 American Association of Museums, held June 4th to 7th, 1912, in the lecture-room of the 

 American Museum of Natural History. The meetings were presided over by the President, 

 Prof. Ed. S. Morse, of the Peabody Museum, Salem, Mass. The address of welcome was 

 delivered by Prof. Henry Fairfield Osborn, President of the American Museum of Natural 

 History: followed by the roll-call, eighty -four members answering their names, being repre- 

 sentatives from nearly all the leading museums in America. 



Papers were read on care, management, preservation of specimens, and other matter 

 relating to museum-work, and discussions after each. Upon invitation, meetings were held 

 at the Metropolitan Museums of Art, and also at the Museum of the Brooklyn Institute. 



After each meeting sufficient time was given for the inspection of the collections, offices, 

 and laboratories. 



Previous to the meeting of the Association of Museums, I visited the American Museum 

 of Natural History, and was well received by Dr. Lucas, the Director, and personally 

 conducted by him over that magnificent institution, and was given a great amount of 

 information in regard to the Museum and museum-work. 



After the Association of Museums adjourned, I left New York for London, England, and 

 there visited the Natural History Museum and other museums, and was received by Director 

 Fletcher and Prof. Lydekker. "I inspected the vast collection of valuable material to be seen 

 in the institution. While in London I received an invitation from the Right Honourable 

 Lord Pontypridd, President of the National Museum of Wales, at Cardiff, through Dr. Hoyle, 

 the Director, to be present at the laying of the foundation-stone of the new National Museum 

 in that city by His Majesty King George the Fifth on July 26th, 1912. 



The ceremony took place in the presence of nearly three thousand people, representing 

 all classes of the community and all parts of the principality. His Majesty's gracious words 

 in reply to the loyal address presented to him, the interest he displayed in the details of the 

 model, and his remarks to the officers of the Museum gave abundant evidence of his cordial 

 approval of the enterprise and his desire for its success. The proceedings were carried out in 

 the brilliant sunshine, and gave full satisfaction to all concerned. 



